College of DuPage eyes spending $150,000 for ad firm

College of DuPage trustees will consider hiring an advertising firm, at a cost of almost $150,000, to run the "public education campaign" for the school's November property tax ballot question.

Board members said the college can't spend money on persuading voters to favor the ballot question, which seeks permission to borrow $168 million for capital improvement projects. The college can, however, spend money to inform voters of the college's needs. The contract with Chicago-based Michael Walters ad agency would go toward explaining why the college wants to extend its borrowing power.

The firm has handled advertising for the college for nearly a decade. Last school year, the company was paid $335,950 for its advertising efforts. In July, the board approved paying the firm $254,000 for marketing work in the fall semester.

COD officials didn't respond to requests seeking more information about the work the firm would do for the borrowing plan, but a spokeswoman said the source of funding for the public education campaign was coming from donated funds paid out of the COD Foundation coffers.

If approved, the $168 million would go toward an overhaul of existing campus buildings and completion of the Homeland Security Education Institute.

If the measure is approved, property owners won't see a scheduled reduction in their tax bills. The reduction amounts to about $35 a year for the owner of a $300,000 house. Instead, the tax bills would be extended at their current levels for another 20 years.

Polling done by the college indicated nearly nearly 70 percent of 500 random residents questioned about the proposal supported the property tax extension.

Voters will decide on Nov. 2.